Hello all- Thanks for the forum. My partner and I bought a 2014 Prius v Three (Blue) last night. Traded in an '06 Civic Hybrid. So far I am very happy with the Prius. It will be my primary car. Per the advice of those here, I am working my way through the manuals. It will take awhile to get through them! No mods yet, though I think a hitch and bike rack will be in our future, and I would love to get Clazzio leather seat covers, and the homelink rearview mirror. We did order mudflaps and all-weather mats for the car, and I got the bumper cover (black) from the PriusChat shop. Just wanted to thank everyone here for their advice. I have been lurking for a couple of weeks. Thought briefly about a Ford C-Max but didn't even test drive one after I got in the Prius. Owning a Prius has been a dream for me since we bought the Civic in 06 - Back then Prii were on a waiting list and I am not a patient person! I know there are threads everywhere, but any advice for new owners/break-in etc. is appreciated. Another Proud Prius Owner (or at least payment maker!) Kristi Reuille (and Betty Jones)
Congrats on your purchase. I originally planned to get the v, but I opted for the Plug-in instead. The plugging-in turns out to be not-so-big a deal after all, because it's worth roughly a quart of fuel every time you plug it in for a full charge. Most of the time, I don't even bother.
1) The manual details break-in, but it doesn't amount to much. Just treat it nice. 2) Expect it to take 5K miles to loosen up and get good mileage. 3) Keep the tires inflated to 40/39 PSI. 4) Unless you're in the tropics, seriously consider investing in an engine block heater. It'll make life nicer in the winter and help MPG a lot. 5) Take the time to learn how to properly drive a Prius for max MPG, and avoid the freeway when possible for best MPG.
Holy Toledo! Welcome Aboard!! (Sorry. Couldn't resist....) You shouldn't have any problems with 'break-in.' As excellently pointed out above....just 'treat it nice' for the first few thou. Avoid WOT (wide open throttle) starts and try not to slam on the brakes or do any high-speed slaloming for a while. One of the forum gurus pointed out in another post that if you think you have to drive it like a Prius, then you're missing the whole point. Drive it like a 'normal' car because......(theatrical pause)...it is a normal car that gets abnormally high mileage. Once you get used to the car, you'll get the whole 'pulse and glide' thing if you're into turning a 45-50MPG car into a 55-60MPG car. Keep your tires a little above spec (as detailed above.) Mostly? Enjoy the car! Good Luck!
